EXO have been inaugurated into my “K-Pop A-Z” feature, which means anything they release automatically gets a full review. To be honest, I’ve regretted that rule over the past few years since I haven’t vibed with the group’s albums since 2018.
Is there new work REVERXE any different? Read on to find out!
1. Crown // 2. Back It Up // 3. Crazy // 4. Suffocate // 5. Moonlight Shadows // 6. Back Pocket // 7. Touch & Go // 8. Flatline // 9. I’m Home
MOONLIGHT SHADOWS
With Moonlight Shadows, we enter REVERXE‘s second, more subdued side. EXO have often boasted R&B style b-sides on their albums and their vocals suit the genre incredibly well. Their discography has at least a handful of classics within this soundscape. However, the style can also veer too subdued until we end up in coffeehouse territory. Unfortunately, that’s the case with Moonlight Shadows.
I love the sound of Moonlight Shadows, and that’s mostly thanks to the members’ voices. But the thing is, if I want to listen to this particular texture there are so many better options within their discography. The melodies here leave no impression on me. Sure, they are pretty to listen to, but they go in one ear and out the other because they’re so clipped and unsubstantial. The phrase “it’s a vibe” has become more of a complaint than a praise coming from me, and that’s 100% the case here.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
Grade: C
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I could say I don’t know why I don’t like this song more than I do, but I do actually. It’s a very sleepy, “vibe-y” track, but EXO has done those in ways that are much more interesting to me in the past. Sweet Lies and Let Me In (and heck, even She’s Dreaming to an extent) say hello, both of which I didn’t necessarily appreciate on a first listen but then clicked with me in a major way. Moonlight Shadows just feels very flat to me, and I don’t mean off key. Like, it’s missing texture vocally. We’ve got harmony in there sure, and I’m struggling to describe this, but it’s not textured in any way. It’s flat and just kinda there. And I just realized on my most recent listen that there are absolutely zero ad-libs. Not that I think every song needs to go crazy on ad-libbing and vocal showboating, and that’s not the type of ad-libbing I’m suggesting, but they are sorely missed here as they would have added some layers, interest, and a bit of a build towards the end.
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Well they are missing half their vocal line. Chen Baekhyun. Xiumin was pretty good too.
Of those here, there is D.O. from the vocal line. Suho is actually also pretty good. He has done musicals in Korea and you have to be good to be chosen for that.
For this song, it just sounds like they didn’t spend a lot of time on it. The vocal was recorded for all the basic lines to be smooth and clear. And then the producers put their pen down and called it good. Nothing more. It is the standard soft song B-side for EXO but a tick or two under-produced and under-polished.
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